Musical instrument.



No. 794,443- I PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. P. WUEST, JR.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26,1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

a Q g WITNESSES:

A iM L INVE'NTO R: fW/l/P 14 0557 JR,

No. 794.443. PATENTED JULY 11. 1905. P. WUEST, JR.

MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

fl /ZIP 14 0137 J65,

PATENTED JULY 11, 1905-.

P. WUEST, JR. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26,1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3v INVENTOB: P/fll/PIIZZSTJR,

UNITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

ATENI @rricie.

PHILIP IVUEST, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO C. J. HEPPE & SON, A FIRM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,443, dated July 11, 1905. Application filed August 26, 1903. Serial No. 170,773.

To (All whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP VVUEsT, Jr., of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve- .5 ments in Musical Instruments, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the class of mechanical musical instruments, including automatic piano-players, whose operation is controlled by a perforated web of paper,termed a musicsheet, which is progressed with respect to a tracker-bar provided with a series of apertures corresponding with the scale of sounds which are to be produced. There are upon the market such music-sheets of different widths designed for different instruments and adapted to cooperate with respective trackerbars comprising different numbers of apertures, said sheets being mounted upon individual rotary carriers or spools of corresponding different lengths.

It is the object of my invention to provide an instrument in which such spools of different lengths may be employed.

The instrument hereinafter described comprises adjustable bearings for the music-sheet spool, a music-sheet-take-up roller having opposed flanges adjustable toward and away of said spool-bearings with said roller-flanges so arranged that upon the insertion of the spool in said bearings said roller-flanges are automatically adjusted to fit the particular width of sheet carried by said spool.

The instrument hereinafter described also comprises meanswhereby the insertion of said spool also effects the opening or closing of the air-ducts leading to certain apertures at the opposite ends of the series in the trackerbar-that is to say, upon the insertion of a short spool carrying a narrow music-sheet a corresponding number of said ducts are closed and upon the insertion of a long spool carrying a wide music-sheet said ducts are reopened. The arrangement described is such that both operations of adjusting the take-uproller flanges and controlling the apertures in from each other, and means connecting one the tracker-bar are effected automatically by the mere insertion of the music-sheet spool.

My invention comprehends the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a front elevation of a frame member of a musical instrument of the class aforesaid,com prising a tracker-bar, bearings for the musicsheet spool, a take-up roller, and mechanism connecting the same in cooperative relation. Fig. II is a right-hand end view of the device shown in Fig. I. Fig. III is a left-hand end view of said device. Fig. IV is a plan view. partly sectioned on the line IV IV in Figs. I and III. Fig. V is a longitudinal sectional view of the adjustable take-up roller. Fig. VI is a side view of a music-sheet spool.

In said figures the frame comprises the vertical members 1 2and the cross-bar 3 and supports the tracker-bar I. The main drivingshaft 6 (operatively connected with a motor by any convenient means) is provided with the collars 8, engaging the arm 9 of the rockshaft 10, whose other arm 11 is pivoted to the connecting-rod 12, which may be provided with any convenient form of operating-handle. The pinion 1% on the inner end of said shaft 6 engages the gear-wheel15 upon the shaft 16, which rotates in the brackets 17 and 18, respectively mounted upon the frame members 2 and 1, and supports the take-up roller consisting of the central sleeve member 19 and opposed adjustable flange members 20 21. As shown in Fig-V, said sleeve member 19 is fixed on the shaft 16 by the set-screw 22, entered in the recess 23 beneath the hook 24: in said sleeve, which.is provided to engage the ring 25, attached to the forward end of the music-sheet 26. Said take-up-roller flanges 2O 21 are respectively fixed on sleeves 27 28, which slide upon said shaft 16 and are respectively provided with pairs of collars 3O 31. Said flanges 2O 21 are connected for definite longitudinal movement in relation to each other and. to the music-sheet spool by certain mechanism, as follows: The collars 3O engage the pin 33 on the arm 34, which is fixed on the rock-shaft 35, supported in brackets 37 38, extending from the frame member 1. The upper end of said rock-shaft 35 is provided with the arm 40, which is connected by the link 41 with the arm 12 on the rock-shaft 13. Said shaft 43 is mounted in brackets 45 16 on the frame member 2 and is provided at its lower extremity with the arm 18, whose pin 19 engages the collars 31. The arrangement of said mechanism is such that said flanges 20 and 21 are contemporaneously shifted toward and away from each other inaccordance with the rocking movement of said shaft 13, which movement is effected as follows: The upper end of said shaft 13 is provided with the arm 51, whose pin 52 engages the collar 53 on the srmol-bearing shaft 54, which rotates in the bracket 55, mounted on the frame member 2. The inner end of said shaft 5 1 is provided with the bearing 56 for the journal 57 of the spool 58, which carries the music-sheet 26. The opposite end journal 59 of said spool 58 is supported by the bearing 61 on the spoolbearing shaft 62, which latter is mounted to reciprocate longitudinally in the plates 63 65, mounted on the frame member 1. Said shaft 62 is normally presented in the position shown in Fig. IV under pressure of the spring 67, which abuts at one end against the plate 65 and at the other end against the flange 68 on said shaft 62 and which in the normal position of said shaft encounters theplate 63. As shown in Fig. 1V, said bearing 61 is detachably secured to the shaft 62 by means of the nut69, which engages its screw-tln'eaded shank 70, so that said bearing may be conveniently renewed.

It is to be understood that the arrangement above described is such that reciprocation of said spool-bearing shaft 5 1 causes a correspendingadjustment of the flange members 20 and 21 of the take-up roller. In the posi tion shown in the several figures said shaft 54 is set in its extreme outward position to receive the longest spool which the device is adapted to employ. In this position of the device accidental displacement of the shaft 54 and the parts connected therewith is prevented by the locking-lever 72, which is secured to the frame member 2 by the fulcrumstud 73, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 111, and, is held in the annular recess 7et in the shaft 54 by the pressure of the free end of the spring 75, whose opposite end 76 is fixed on the frame member 2. Said shaft 5 1 may be provided with any desired number of locking-recesses corresponding with the different lengths of spools to be employed; but only two are shown, (respectively marked 7st and 77.)

As shown in Fig. I, Tl, and IV, the spoolbearing shaft 51 is provided with a grooved wheel 80, connected by the band 81 with the spectively, to said apertures driving-shaft 6. The hub 84 of said wheel 83 comprises the annular groove 85, engaged by the bracket 86, convenientlysupported on the frame member 87. Said wheel 83 is provided with the clutch-pin 88, arranged to engage the clutch-pin 89 on the collar 90, [ixed on the shaft 6, when said shaft is shifted outwardly by the arm 9. &c., to disengage the pinion 14 from the gear 15, the arrangement being such that when said pinion is engaged with said gear 15 the music-sheet 26 is unrolled from its spool and when said wheel 83 is engaged with its shaft 6 said sheet is rerolled on its spool.

The difference in width between the wide music-sheet and the narrow sheet for which the device shown is adapted is ,the extent of three apertures 91, 92, and 93 upon the lefthand side of the tracker-bar at and four apertures 9 1, $5, 96, and 97 upon the right-hand side thereof, and consequently provision must be made for rendering said seven apertures inoperative when the narrow music-sheet is em ployed. However, the blank margin of the narrow music-sheet will continuously cover the apertures 93 and 94, so that it is only necessary to provide other means to control the two apertures 91 and 92 upon the left-hand side of the tracker-bar and the three apertures 95, 96, and 97 upon the right-hand side of the tracker-bar. Such control is conveniently effected as follows: The nozzles 98 and 99 at the left-hand side of the tracker-bar lead, respectively, to said apcutures 91 and 92, and (conveniently by flexible rubber tubes 100, indicated by dash and dot lines) said nozzles 98 and 99 are respectivelyconnected with the nozzles 101 and 102, adjoining the nozzles 103 and 101 in the valve-casing 105, which projects from the frame member 2. Said nozzles 103 and 10% are likewise connected with respecti ve pneu1natie-valvemechanisms for elfectin the playing of the instrument. Similarly the nozzles 107, 108, and 109 at the righthand side of the tracker-lair, which lead, re 95, 96, and 97, are respectively connected by tubes 110 with the nozzles 11.1, 112, and 113, adjoining nozzles 114, 115, and 116 in said valve-casing 105, which are connected with respective pneumatic-valve mechanisms for effecting the playing of the instrument. Said valve-casing 105 is provided with opposed flanges 1.17 118, between which the slide-valve 119 is arranged to reciprocate, and said valve comprises live separate ports 120, which in the position of the valve shown in Figs. 1 and 1V establish (J()I1l11]UfliC2tlllOl1 between the cm'responding pairs of nozzles in the valve-casing, so that there is a continuous pneumatic connection from the apertures 91, 92, 95, 96, and 97 in tracker-bar 1 to their pneumatic-valve mechanisms aforesaid. Said slide-valve 119 is provided with studs 121, which engage the grooved wheel 83, which is loose on the main arm 12;) of the lever, which is .fulcrumed at 124 upon the valve-casing 105 and whose opposite arm 125 is operatively engaged between the collar 53 and the collar 126 on the reciprocatory spool-bearing shaft 54, so that when the latter is shifted from its outer position. (shown in Figs. I and IV,) being that necessary for the long music-spool adapted for the use of all of the apertures in the tracker-bar, to its inner position, which corresponds with the short spool, a corresponding movement of the slide-valve 119 removes the ports 120 from registry with the nozzles in the valve-casing 105, and consequently the ducts leading from the terminal tracker-bar apertures 91, 92, 95, 96, and 97 are closed and rendered inoperative.

The mechanism above described operates as follows: The shaft 6, being normally in its outer reciprocated position, in which the pinion 14is disengaged from the gear-wheel 15, is shifted to the position shown in Fig. I by manipulation of the connecting-rod 12, so that said shaft 6 being rotated by the motor the shaft 16 and the take-up roller are rotated together in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. I. Simultaneously the clutch-pin 89 is disengaged from the clutch-pin 88 on the wheel 83, so that the latter is disconnected from the shaft 6 and may be idly rotated thereon during the unwinding of the music-sheet 26, which occasions the rotation of the shaft 54 in a direction opposite to that in which it is rotated when said clutch members are engaged. Thereupon, it being desired to operate the instrument with a short music-spool, the locking-lever 72 is uplifted from the annular recess 7 4, the shaft 54 is drawninwardly until its recess 77 is presented beneath said locking-lever, and the latter engaged therewith. Such movement of the shaft 54 through the mechanism above described effects the contemporaneous movement of the rollerflange members 20 and 21 toward each other, but to a different extent, corresponding with three apertures upon the left-hand side and four apertures upon the right-hand side of the tracker-bar, which difference in movement is determined by the diflerence in length of the crank-arms upon the two rock-shafts 35 and 48, so that said flanges 20 and 21 fit the opposite edges of the narrow musicsheet 26 drawn on the take-up roller from the short music-spool 58 by engagement with the hook 24, after said spool is inserted by engaging its left-hand journal 59 in the bearing 61 of the shaft 62, thrusting the latter outwardly until the opposite journal 57 of said spool is in registry with the bearing 56 in the shaft 54 and permitting the spring 67 to thrust said spool 58 toward the right-hand side and engage saidjournal 57 in the bearing 56. Contemporaneousl y with the movement of adjustment of the roller-flange members 20 and 21 by the inward movement of the shaft 54 the corresponding movement of the lever-arms 125 and 123- shifts the valve 119 outwardly,

places the valve-ports 120 out of registry, and

closes the air-ducts leading to the tracker-bar apertures 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, and 97, as above described, whereupon the device is in condition to operate with the narrow music-sheet 26 during the continuous rotation of the takeup roller in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. I. Upon completion of the operation of the device with the music-sheet, as above contemplated, movement of the connecting-rod 12 in the direction of the arrow marked thereon withdrawsthe pinion 14 from the gear 15, contemporaneously engages the clutch-pins 88 and 89, and begins the rotation of the shaft 54 in the opposite direction to effect the rewinding of the music-sheet 26 upon its spool 58. When rewound, said spool 58 may be withdrawn from operative position by shifting it and the shaft 62 toward the left-hand side of the device until the journal 57 clears the bearing 56, whereupon the spool 58 being removed the shaft 62 is restored to its normal position (shown in Fig. IV) by pressure of the spring 67. Thereupon the shaft 54 (set as aforesaid in its inward position) may be restored to the position shown in Figs. I and IV by uplifting the locking-lever 7 2 from the annular recess 77 in said shaft and thrusting the latter outwardly. Contemporaneously communication is established through the valve-ports 120 to the terminal apertures in the tracker-bar 4, and the take-uproller flanges 20 21 are readjusted to the position shown.

It is to be understood that 1 do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, as it is obvious that Various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention.

I claim 1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar provided with a series of apertures; of means arranged to control the air-ducts leading to the terminal apertures in said series; a bearing for a music-sheet spool; and, means operatively connecting said bearing with said duct-controlling means, arranged to control said ducts in definite relation to the position of said bearing, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar comprising a series of apertures; of means arranged to control the air-ducts leading to the terminal apertures in said series, comprising a slide-valve; a bearing for a music-sheet spool; and, means operatively connecting said bearing with said slide-valve, arranged to control said ducts in definite relation to the position of said musicspool bearing, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a take-up roller comprising opposed relatively adjustable flanges; of opposed bearing-shafts for a music-sheet spool,

each adapted to reciprocate longitudinally, one of said bearing shafts being springpressed; means to positively engage the other of said bearing-shafts in diiferent selected positions; and, means operativcly connecting the last-named bearing-shaft with the flange members of said take-up roller, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar comprising a series of apertures; of means arranged to control the air-ducts leading to the terminal apertures in said series, comprising avalve-casing; respective ports in said casing corresponding with said apertures; and, a valve arranged to contemporaneously open or close said ports, substantially as set forth.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar comprising a series of apertures; of means arranged to con trol the-air-ducts leading to the terminal apertures in said series, comprising a valve-casing; respective ports in said casing corresponding with said apertures; and a slid e-val ve arranged to contemporaneously open or close said ports, substantially as set forth.

6; In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar comprising a series of apertures; of means arranged to control the air-ducts leading to the terminal apertures in said series, comprising a valve-casing; respective ports in said casing corresponding with said apertures; a slide-valve arranged to contemporaneously open or close said ports; a reciprocatory bearing-shaft for a music-sheet spool; and, means operatively connecting said shaft with said slide-valve, arranged to shift the latter in accordance with the length of the music-spool engaged with said shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a music-sheet roll; of a takeup roller; a tracker-board; and, means for automatically varying the effective length of the tracker-board without altering the distance between any two ducts therein, in accordance with the Width of the musieshect, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, at Phihidelphia, Pennsylvania, this 24th day of August, 1903.

PHILIP IVUES' J a.

\Vitnesses:

A. A. OHAsu, CHARLES H EMMING. 

